Date: 14-APRIL-2020   Last Updated: 10-NOVEMBER-2025

Is ANP Suitable for Steroids? Understanding Retention Behavior

While retention in Aqueous Normal Phase (ANP) chromatography depends on the specific chemical properties of each compound, ANP is generally best suited for polar analytes. Its mechanism favors compounds with hydrophilic functional groups that interact with the stationary phase under reversed-phase solvent conditions.

In contrast, steroids are typically highly hydrophobic, making them poorly retained in ANP mode. For these types of compounds, Reversed Phase (RP) chromatography is often a more effective approach for achieving adequate retention and separation.

Recommended Column Options:

• Cogent UDC-Cholesterol™ – Offers excellent selectivity for steroidal compounds due to its unique hydrophobic and shape-selective properties.
  Note: This column is temperature-sensitive, so it should be used with a thermostatted column compartment for consistent results.
• Cogent Diol™ – A versatile column that can serve as a good starting point for method development with moderately hydrophobic compounds.